Rotary printing-press.



H. F. BECHMAN. ROTARY PRINTING PRESS. APPLICATION FILED 001*. I6. 1912 RENEWED JUNE 30.1917. LQQQQGQM 7 N a Wu .w|\ mv m M 1 w W M m ML ef SH 7% d mm A m W/T/V JJEJ War (14% H. F. BECHMAN.

ROTARYPRJNTING PRESS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16, 1912- RENEWED JUNE 30.1917.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- H. F BECHMAN.

ROTARY PRINTING PRESS. APPLICATION FILED ocr. I-6, L912. RENEWED JUNE 30, I91?- 3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

PatentedSept. 11, 1917.

INVENTOR LQQQQQQV practically surround the cylinder.

rinrrnn sararns PATENT OFFICE HENRY F. BECHMAN, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO DUPLEX PRINTING- PRESS COMPANY, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

ROTARY PRINTING-PRESS.

Patented Sept. 1111, 19170 Application filed October 16 1912, Serial No. 726,092. Renewed June 30. 1917. Serial No. 177,990.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, Ilnxnr I BEOHMAN, of Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in R0- tary Printing-Presses; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is a novel rotary printing press, and in particular is a'n improvement upon the so-called single-page tubular plate presses shown in my Patents #867,280, Reissue #121129; and #979,919 of December 27, 1910. The principal object of the present invention is to enable a wide web of paper to be printed by means of short plate cylinders printing adjacent portions of such web, and I accomplish this by displacing such cylinders longitudinally, so that some of the cylinders print one longitudinal portion of the web and the other cylinders can print the other longitudinal portion of the web; I prefer to use halflength plate cylinders and full length in1 press-ion cylinders; and I employ with each long impression cylinder two plate cylinders which latter operate however upon different portions of the web and at different points in the length of the impression cylinder. And both these plate cylinders may be supplied with ink from a single fountain and ink drum.

The invention in particular is designed for use with plate cylinders of such small diameter that, as adapted for newspaper printing. a single page of type matter will And as set forth in my aforesaid patents I preferably employ tubular stereotype plates each containing but a single newspaper page of matter. Such single-page tubular-plates require the cm 'iloyment of plate cylinders of small diameter. and it has been objected tfllilll when operated at very high speed such small cylinders might spring if they were made more than two or three pages long; and as such stereotype plates have to be slipped endwise onto and ofi of the cylinders, it is objectionable to use cylinders more than two pages long, as regards the facility of making changes in the arrangement of the plates in the press. In order to obtain a press of large ca pacity with few parts it is desirable to have the press capable of printing a web at least four pages wide and sometimes wider; and heretofore this has necessitated making the plate cylinders long enough to carry at least four plates end to end, so that a web four pages wide may be printed, such web being subsequently divided longitudinally and the portions thereof assembled.

It is the object of the present invention to enable such wide webs to be printed with short plate cylinders, and I use two short plate cylinders in place of one long plate cylinder; or in other words I use two plate cylinders to carry a full complement of plates across the width of the machine instead of attempting to put all. the plates upon one cylinder. By this construction I am enabled to employ short plate cylinders and locate the bearings for such cylinders closely adjacent the ends thereof so that any possible spring is obviated; and a four page wide press can be plated as easily and as quickly as an ordinary two-page wide press. I also preferably arrange each pair of plate cylinders near together and parallel so that both of them can cooperate with one long impression cylinder, whichis also preferably made of twice the diameter of the plate cylinder. By this novel arrangement of plate cylinders I am also able to supply ink from a single fountain to both the plate cylinders cooperating with an impression cylinder.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a novel means for driving the plate cylinders which ,will enable the tubular plates to be slipped endwise onto or off of the plate cylinders from the sides of the press, without disturbing the cylinder bearings or driving gears. By reason of such novel arrangement of the plate cylin ders and their driving gearing, each cylin der can be plated from its outer end as described in my aforesaid patents, and without the necessity of using any mutilated orsegmental gears; and all the gearing can be kept at the outer sides of the machine so that the gearing will not be a source of danger to pressmen threading the press.

In short the present invention provides a press which can be made four or more pages wide so as to print or perfect a web four or more pages wide from single page tubular plates; and in which such tubular plates can be applied to or removed from the plate cylinders 'with great facility; and every unit of such press can print eight pages by means of four short plate cylinders and preferably two long impression cylinders; and the four plate cylinders can be supplied with ink from two fountains. And such a press can be built of any desired capacity in multiples of eight pages by mere duplication and juxtaposition of such units.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated an eight page section or unit which embodies the invention and from which the construction of the machine will be clearly understood; and I will explain the invention in detail in connection with said drawings and in the claims summarize the essential features and novel combinations of parts for which I desire protection.

In said drawings- Figure l is a top plan view of a press containing but one unit, with the web removed.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section thereof on line 3-3, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevation thereof with the inking mechanism removed.

Fig. 5 is a detail showing a cylinder in position for the putting on or taking off of a tubular plate.

As shown the press unit comprises two impression cylinders 1, 1, which are journaled in the opposite side frames F, F, of the main frame. Co-acting with the cylinder 1 are two plate cylinders 2 and 3; and

co-acting with the impression cylinder 1 are two plate cylinders 4 and 5. In the example shown each plate cylinder is but half the length of the related impression cylinder, but the cylinders 2 and 3 are arranged to coiiperate with different portions of the impression cylinder 1 and'together extend the entire width of the press. The plate cylinders 4 and 5 are similarly arranged relative to impression cylinder 1.

The plate cylinder 2 is preferably located at the outer side of and above the axis of the impression cylinder 1 and at the left hand side of the press; and the plate cylinder 3 is located at the right hand side of the ress below the axis of the impression cylinder 1 and extends inwardly to about the center thereof.

The plate cylinder 4 is preferably located beside and above the axis of the impression cylinder 1, at the left hand side of the press, and the plate cylinder 5 is located at the right hand side of the press, beside and slightly below the axis of the impression cylinder 1*.

The plate cylinder 2 is journaled at its outer end in a bearing 2 on the adjacent side F of the main frame, and at its inner end is journaled in a bearing 2 mounted on a bar 6 or other suitable support which extends transversely of the press and is securely attached to the side frames F, F The shaft 2 of plate cylinder 2 extends through bearing 2 and to and through the bearing in the frame F, and has on its outer end a pinion 2 meshing with a gear 1 on the adjacent end of the shaft of the cylinder 1 by which means the plate cylinder 2 is driven.

The plate cylinder 3 is journaled at its outer right hand end in a bearing 3 on the frame F, and at-its inner end in a bearing 3" attached to a transverse bar 6 in the mainframe or other suitable support, and the shaft 3 of cylinder 3 extends through bearing 3 to and through a bearing in the side frame F, and has on its outer end a pinion 3 meshing with a gear 1 on the adjacent end of the shaft of the impression cylinder 1.

The outer end of the plate cylinder 4 is similarly journaled in a bearing 4 on the frame F and its inner end in a bearing 4 on a transverse bar 6 in the frame, and the shaft 4 of cylinder 4 is extended through bearing 4 to and through abearing in the side frame F and has on its outer end a pinion 4", which meshes with a gear 1 on the adjacent end of the shaft of the impression cylinder 1.

The outer end ofthe plate cylinder 5 is journaled in a bearing 5 on the side frame F and at its inner end in a bearing 5 mounted on the transverse bar 6 in the frame, and the shaft 5 of cylinder 5 extends through bearing 5 to and through a bearing in the side frame F and has on its outer end a pinion 5 which meshes with a gear 1 on the adjacent end of the shaft of the impression cylinder 1.

The several plate and impression cylinders may thus be driven in unison and at proper relative peripheral speeds. Motion can be transmitted to impression cylinder 1 by means of a gear 7 on a stud 7 from any suitable source of power. It will be seen that the plate cylinders 2, 3 and 4, are staggered, that is cylinders 2 and 4 alternate in position laterally of the press with the cylinders 3 and 5; the cylinders 2 and 4 print upon the same part of the web, and

the cylinders 3 and a print upon the part of the web not printed by thecylinders 2 and 4. It will also be seen that the inner ends of the cylinders 2 and 3 (viewed from above) slightly overlap so that when both cylinders are fully plated the impressions made on the web by the plates on the inner ends of the cylinders 2 and 3 will be separated by the proper margins longitudinally of the web; as if the plates were on the same cylinder. The cylinders 4 and 5 similarly overlap.

WVith this construction it is entirely unnecessary to stagger the impression cylinders. This makes it possible to blanket the impression cylinders complete with the use of but one blanket and one reel rod, whereas with all other double width presses two blankets and w'ebs are necessary. The object for which staggered cylinders were introduced, viz., having the margin-spaces meet the impression cylinder at different times, being obtained by the displacement of the plate cylinders in relation to each other.

Another resultant advantage of this construction is that the webs are delivered with the pages alined, instead of staggered. With the old method of staggered impressions the web was delivered to the folder with pages printed staggered. But my machine delivers the web with printed pages properly registeredso that registering of the pages and different webs at the folder is much simplified.

The outermost bearings 2, 3 4, 5, of the several plate cylinders are preferably constructed substantially as described in my Patent #979,919; and, as described in said patent, each outermost bearing of the plate cylinder is slightly smaller in diameter than the cylinder and is connected to the adjacent side frame, F or F, by a narrow neck f which corresponds in width to the longitudinal marginal slot in the single-page tubular plate P (Fig. 5) as described in my aforesaid patent, so that such single page tubular plates may be slipped endwise over such bearing on or off the outer end of the plate cylinder as described in said patent.

The gear for driving each plate cylinder, it will be seen, is attached to the extended shaft of such cylinder at the side of the machine opposite that from which the cylinder is to be plated. Thus plate cylinders 2 and 4 are plated from the left hand side of the machine, and are driven at the right hand side of the machine; while the cylin- .ders 3 and 5 are plated from the right hand side of the machine, and driven at the left hand side of the machine. This driving is effected by extending the shafts of the plate cylinders as described, and thus while each plate cylinder is positively driven by gears, all the gears are accessible at the outer sides of the machine, and no gearing located between the side frames is necessary to drive the short cylinders.

' The plate cylinders being driven from the impression cylinders as described, so as to rotate at the same peripheral speed as the impression cylinders, it follows that if the gearing for driving the plate cylinders was at the end adjacent the bearings 2 3 45-, 5 it would be necessary to remove such gears in order to plate the cylinders; but by locating the driving gears of the respective cylinders at the side of the press opposite these bearings I am enabled to plate the cylinders as indicated in Fig 5 without having to remove any of the gears; as shown in Fig. 5 the bearing 2 is connected by a narrow neck 7 to the side frame and said figure shows plate P in position and also shows the relative position of the gear 1 on cylinder 1 adjacent the bearing 2* of the cylinder 2. It will be seen that while the points of the teeth of the gear 1 would project beyond the arc of the periphery of the plate P when on the cylinder yet by reason of the slot in the plate, the plate can be slipped upon the cylinder, each edge of the plate just clearing the sides and points of the teeth of gear 1; if desired the non-working side of one of the teeth of the gear I may be filed down as indicated at f so as to insure that there will be no contact between the edge of the plate and the teeth while the plate is being slipped on or off the cylinder. Each plate cylinder is preferably made long enough to carry two page plates end to end; so that each section of the press, if using single-page tubular-plates, will print eight pages, when fully plated. If the plate cylinders were made longer, so as to carry more page-plates, each section could print as much as six or more pages.

As shown each plate cylinder is adapted to print a two page wide web, and such web may be supplied if desired from separate rolls; but when printing at the full capacity of the press it is preferable to use a single double width, or four pages wide, web. Assuming it is desired to print the full capacity of the press a wide web w may be led from a roll W, suitably mounted at one end of the machine, to and over a guide 7*, thence to and over a guide 7 above the impression cylinders, then down between the impression cylinder 1 and plate cylinder 2 whereby the left hand portion of the web is printed; then the web passes on between the plate cylinder 3 and the impression cylinder 1, whereby the right hand portion of the web is printed; the result being the same as if the whole width of web had been printed by a single long plate cylinder carrying four plates end to end. The Web then passes between the impression cylinders 1, 1*, and between the impression cylinder 1 and the plate cylinder 4, whereby the portion of the web printed by the cylinder 2 is perfected on the reverse side; then the web passes between the impression cylinder 1 and the plate cylinder 5 whereby the portion of the web printed by cylinder 3 is perfected by cylinder 5; then the web may be led over a guide 7 and out to a suitable folding mechanism. As conventionally indicated in the drawing the web may be led up over a guide 7 at the right hand end of the press, to and over a guide 7 where it may be longitudinally divided by a slitter 7 if desired; and then the halves of the split web may be led direct to folders 7 and 7. Or if desired the portion of the web perfected by the plate cylinders 2 and 4 may be turned over suitable angle bars, conventionally illustrated at 7, and then led to the folder 7"; cylinders 3 and 5 may be turned over angle bars or deflectors 7 and assembled with the other portions of the web at folder 7.

Ink may be supplied to the plates on each plate cylinder in any suitable manner; preferably ink is supplied to the adjacent cylinders 2 and 8 from a single ink drum 8, obtaining ink from a fountain 8; suitable distributing ductor and form rollers being indicated in the drawings for supplying ink to the respective cylinders 52 and 3.

Similarly the adjacent plate cylinders t and 5 may be supplied with ink from a single distributing drum 8 and fountain 8. With this described arrangement of inking mechanism only two fountains and two distributing drums are required to supply ink to the four plate cylinders.

The shafts of the inking and form rollers may extend entirely across the press between the side frames F, F, but the working surfaces of the form rollers 2", 3, P, 5, need only correspond in length with the length of their respective plate cylinders; the intermediate rollers for supplying ink from the drums 8 to the several form rollers may be correspondingly shortened in length.

The invention obviates springing of the plate cylinders and streaking of the paper when operating at high speed with a wide web. In the present construction of presses using four, or more, page-wide plate cylinders, it is frequently desired to print a narrow web from plates mounted on only one end or half of such cylinders; this operation produces an uneven strain on such cylinders and results in their jumping at high speeds when the margins between the plates reach the impression point; and this umping affects the quality of the printing. In my present invention as only short cylinders or the portion of the web printed by and to are employed a bearing is provided close to each end of the impression surface when a wide web is run, as well as when a narrow web is run, and thus each cylinder is firmly supported and springing and jumping prevented, even at the highest speeds.

It should be noted that, by reason of the peculiar laterally displaced arrangement of the two plate cylinders, both portions of the wide web can be printed without any lateral deflection thereof prior to printing, just as if all the plates were mounted upon four page wide cylinders. This new press combines the advantages of the single-page tu bular-plate press, with the handling of the minimum quantity of paper rolls, and retains the desired stiffness of construction, convenience of operation, and accessibility of parts. The unit of printing mechanism shown in the drawings has a capacity of eight pages, assuming the plate cylinders are to carry only two page plates each. A three deck press of this style would have a maximum capacity of 24 pages (using single-page tubular-plates) and would be fed from three rolls of paper; and such press would have a minimum capacity of two pages using one printing section and onequarter-width roll. In the same machine at, (3, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 pages could be run by disconnecting printing units not required, and using full-width, or halfwidth, or quarterwvidth, rolls as required.

Each unit is so designed that duplicates can be added to the press as desired. One can be put above another; and other units likewise arranged, can be attached later, or built as one machine, making four printing couples arranged in one press. chine would print 32 pages using singlepage tubular plates, and with two folders, can deliver two 16-page papers with two deliveries. Two additional units could also be added, being placed on top, which would give a three-tiered machine, or six complete units. A press so arranged, equipped with a double folder, would deliver 48 pages, and could deliver a 24-page paper out of each folder; and if such machine were speeded at 30,000 an hour it would be capable of producing 60,000, 24-page papers per hour. Such press can print any even number of pages by twos, up to 48.

TV hen the press has a plurality of printing decks, the folders can be arranged so that the webs from the several printing mechanisms may be led to the same folder, or to different folders as desired; and suitable deflecting or angle bars may be provided so that the webs can be deflected, assembled and directed to any desired folder. When superposed decks are used it will be possible to print and perfect webs in colors by lead- Such a maing them successively through difierent printing mechanisms.

While I have described the invention as embodied in a rotary press, and preferably in a single-page tubular-plate machine, the invention could be employed with other kinds of printing mechanisms, and with ordinary plate cylinders carrying seml-cylindric page plates.

\Vhile I have shown the folders as arranged at one end of the press; the folders could be arranged at the sides of the press or wherever desired, and I do not consider the invention restricted to any part1cular arrangement or number of foldlng mechanisms.

What I claim is:

1. In a printing press, the combination of two adjacent sets of printing mechamsms; each comprising a pair of plate cylinders and co-acting impression means so arranged that the inner end of one plate cylinder in a pair overlaps the inner end of the other plate cylinder in such pair; whereby two narrow webs or a single wide web maybeperfected by leading same successively through the printing mechanisms.

2. In a printing press, the combination of two adjacent sets of printing mechanisms, each comprising a pair of short plate cylinders and a single long impression cylinder, whereby two narrow webs or one wide web may be printed by leading same successively through the printing mechanisms; the inner end of one plate cylinder in a pair overlapping the inner end of the other plate cylinder in such pair.

3. In a printing press, the combination of two adjacent sets of printing mechanisms, each comprising a pair of short plate cylinders and a co-acting impressioncylinder of larger diameter arranged so that the inner end of one plate cylinder in a pair overlaps the inner end of the other plate cylinder in such pair; and means for directing a web or webs successively through the printing mechanisms.

4. In a printing press, the combination of two adjacent sets of printing mechanism, each comprising a pair of plate cylinders and co-acting impression means, the inner end of one plate cylinder in a pair overlapping the inner end of the adjacent plate cylinder in a pair; with means for leading a web successively between the first pair of plate cylinders and impression devices, and then between the second pair of plate cylinders and impression devices tobe pereach comprising a pair of plate cylinders and co-acting impression means, and a long impression cylinder beside and co-acting with each pair of plate cylinders, the inner end of one plate cylinder in each pair overlapping the inner end of the other plate cylinder;

whereby two narrow webs or a full width web may be printed; and means for folding the printed webs or halves of the wide webs separately or together.

6. In a printing press, the combination of a pair of longitudinally displaced plate cylinders arranged in axial parallelism, and impression means coti'perating with said plate cylinders whereby adjacent longitudinal portions of a wide web may be printed on one side; with means permitting tubular plates to he slipped on or oif the ends of the cylinders, and gearing for driving the cylinders at the side of the press opposite such means.

7. In a printing press, the combination of a pair of longitudinally and laterally displaced plate cylinders arranged in axial parallelism, and impression means cotiperating with both said plate cylinders whereby adjacent longitudinal portions of a wide web may be printed on one side, and bearings for the ends of the plate cylinders adapted to permit tubular plates to he slipped on or off the ends of such cylinders; with gearing for driving the plate cylinders at the side of the press opposite such bearings.

8. In a printing press, the combination of a set of printing mechanism arranged transversely of the main frame, such set comprising a full length impression cylinder and two half length plate cylinders beside and co-acting with the impression cylinder; with means permitting tubular plates to he slipped on or off the outer ends of the plate cylinders, and gearing for driving the plate cylinders at the side of the press opposite such means.

9. In a printing press, the combination of a pair of longitudinally displaced parallel plate cylinders whereby two single width webs may be printed on the same side or the adjacent portions of a double width web may be printed on the same side, and impression means cooperating with said cylinders to print the web; with means whereby tubular plates may be slipped on or off the outermost end of each cylinder at one side of the press, and gearing for driving such cylinder at the opposite side of the press.

10. In a printing press, the combination of a pair of longitudinally and laterally displaced parallel plate cylinders, and a single double length impression cylinder cooperating with both said plate cylinders to tilt print the web; with means whereby tubular plates may be slipped on .or off the outermost end of each cylinder at the sidev of the press, and gearing for driving such cylinder at the opposite side of the press.

11.' In a printing press, the combination of two adjacent sets of printing mechanism each comprising a pair of plate cylinders, and a long impression cylinder beside and co-acting with each pair of plate cylinders so arranged that the inner end of one plate cylinder'in a pair overlaps the inner end of the adjacent plate cylinder in a pair; with means whereby tubular plates maybe slid onto or ofl of the end of each plate cylinder, and gearing for driving the other end of such plate cylinder from its related impression cylinder.

. 12. In a printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder, a pair of short longitudinally displaced parallel plate cylinders co-actlng w1th the impression cyllnder, the inner ends of the plate cylinders slightly overlapping; bearings for the outer and inner ends of the plate cylinders, the

shaft of each, plate cylinder extendin through its inner bearing to the other si e of the press, and gearing between the said shaft extensions of the plate cylinders and side of the press opposite the outer bearing of the cylinder.

14. In combination with a late cylinder adapted to carry a slotted single page tubular plate, a bearing for such cylinder of less diameter than the cylinder and supported by a narrow neck adapted to allow a slotted plate to be slipped past such neck and over the bearing onto or off of the cylinder; and gearing adjacent the said bearing so arranged as to permit a tubular plate to be slipped over the bearing past the gear, substantially as described.

15. In a printing press, the combination of two adjacent sets of printing mechanism each comprising a pair of short laterally displaced axially parallel plate cylinders, and a long impression cylinder beside and co-acting with such plate cylinders; all so arranged that impressions from plates thereon shall be side by side across the width of a web'being printed; with means for leading such a web successively between the first set of impression and plate cylinders and then between the second set of impression and plate cylinders to be perfected, substantially as described.

16. In a printing press, the combination of two adjacent sets of printing mechanism,

each comprising a. pair of laterally displaced axially parallel plate cylinders, and co-actmg impression means so arranged that impressions' from plates thereon shall be side by side across the width of a single wide web being printed; with means for leadinga web successively between the sets of printing mechanism to be perfected, and means for splitting the web and means for folding the parts of the printed web separately or together, substantially as described.

17 In a printing press, the combination of a pair of longitudinally and laterally displaced plate cylinders arranged in axial parallelism and adapted to print ad acent longitudinal portions of a Web, the inner end of one cylinder overlapping the-inner end of the other, and a single impression cylinder cooperating. with both said plate cylinders to take impressions side by side on the same side of a web as it passes the whereby impressions from both cylinders may be taken upon adjacent portions of the same side of a wide web; with a longimpression cylinder cooperating with said plate cylindersysaid impression cylinder being of greater diameter than the plate cylinders; and a bearing for splitting the web and means for each plate cylinder adjacent the inner end thereof.

2 0. In a printing press, the combination of two adjacent sets of printing mechanism each comprising a pair of two plate wide laterally displaced plate cylinders arranged end to end, and a four plate .wide impression cylinder beside and coacting with both such plate cylinders; with means for leading a web successively between the first set of plate and impression cylinders and then between the second set of plate and impression cylinders to be perfected.

21. In a printing press, the combination of two adjacent sets of printing mechanism, each comprising a pair of laterally displaced two plate wide plate cylinders arranged end to end, and co-acting impression means; with means for leading a web or webs successively between the sets of printing mechanisms to be perfected; and means for folding the printed web or webs separately or together.

22. In a printing press, the combination of two sets of printing mechanism arranged transversely of the main frame, each set comprising a full length impression cylinder and two half length parallel plate cylinders arranged end to end beside and coacting with such impression cylinder; and a bearing at the inner end of each plate cylinder; with means for directing two narrow webs or a single wide web successively through the printing mechanism.

23. In a printing press, the combination of a long impression cylinder, a short plate cylinder cooperating therewith and extending from one side of the press partly across the press, and bearings for the plate cylinder adjacent the inner andouter ends thereof, the outer bearings for the plate cylinder permitting tubular plates to be slipped endwise on or off the cylinder, and the plate acting therewith, said cylinder having a shaft extending from its inner end to the end of the impression cylinder, and gearing between the extended shaft of the plate cylinder and adjacent end of the impression cylinder.

25. In a printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder, a short plate cylinder beside the impression cylinder and adjacent one end thereof and co-acting therewith. said cylinder havlng a shaft extending from its inner end to the other end of" the impression cylinder, and gearing between the extended shaft of the plate cylinder and adjacent end of the impression cylinder.

26. In a printing press the combination of an impression cylinder, a co-acting plate cylinder adapted to carry tubular plates to be slipped endwise thereon, said cylinder ex tending from the side of the press partly across the press, a bearing for the inner end of the plate cylinder adjacent the center line of the press. said plate cylinder havin a shaft extending through the said bearing to the outer side of the press farthest from the plate cylinder, and a gear on such shaft adjacent the side of the press farthest from the plate cylinder.

27. In a printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder, a plate cylinder extending from one side of the press partly across the press and adapted to carry tubular plates, a bearing for the outer end of the plate cylinder permitting a tubular plate to be slipped'on or off the plate cylinder, a. bearing for the inner end of the plate cylinder adjacent the center of the press, the plate cylinder having a shaft extending through said inner bearing to the outer side of the press farthest from the plate cylin der; and a gear on the said shaft adjacent the said outer side of the press.

28. In a printing press, an impression cylinder, and a plurality of laterally displaced cylinders co-acting therewith adapted to carry tubular plates and arranged in axial parallelism, said plate cylinders extending from opposite ends of said impression cylinder and adapted to have tubular plates slipped on or off their outer ends; said cylinders cooperating to print adjacent longitudinal portions of a single wide web, substantially as described.

29. In a printing press, the combination of a pair of longitudinally displaced parallel plate cylinders extending from opposite sides of the press and adapted to carry tubular plates and to have such-plates slipped endwise on or off their outer ends; and impression means simultaneously cooperating with both said plate cylinders whereby two single width webs may be printed, or adjacent portions of a. double width web may be printed during its passage past said impression means.

30. In a printing press, the combination of two adjacent sets of printing mechanisms, each comprising a single long impression cylinder and a pair of plate cylinderscooperating therewith, each plate cylinder being approximately half as long as the impression cylinder, said plate cylindersbeing located adjacent opposite ends of the impression cylinder, whereby a wide Web or two side by side webs may be perfected by leading same successively through both sets of printing mechanisms.

31. In a printing press, the combination of a long impression cylinder, a pair of short plate cylinders cooperating therewith and extending from opposite ends of the impression cylinder partly across-the press, and a bearing for the inner end of each plate cylinder adjacent the center of the impression cylinder; gearing for driving the cylinders, and means for directing a wide web or two side by side webs between the cylinders, substantially as described.

32. In a printing press, the combination of two adjacent sets of printing mechanisms, each comprising a single long impression cylinder and a pair of plate cylinders co operating therewith and adapted to carry single-page tubular plates, each plate cylinder being approximately half as long as the impression cylinder, said plate cylinders be ing located adjacent opposite ends of the impression cylinder, whereby two narrow side by side webs or one wide web may be printed by leading same successively through both sets of printing mechanisms.

33. In a printing press, the combination of a long impression cylinder, a pair of short plate cylinders adapted to carry single page tubular plates to he slipped endwise thereon, said plate cylinders cooperating with said impression cylinder and extending from opposite ends of the impression cylining through the said inner bearing to the other end of the impression cylinder, and

gearing on the outer ends of the said shafts for driving the plate cylinders.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY F. BECHMAN.

Witnesses:

I. K. SToNE, CHARLES A. GRAMES. 

